Electronics, such as those found on printed circuit boards (PCBs), can be very sensitive, and are likely to be damaged in the presence of a electrostatic (static) field. Such fields can be encountered during manufacturing, handling, shipping, and use of PCBs. Even the failure of a component as simple as a transistor on a PCB can be enough to ruin a larger device, such as a computer. The Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) Association has even proliferated Specification S20.20, which requires that all charge-generating materials that have electrostatic fields that exceed 2,000 volts (V) should be kept at least twelve inches away from ESD sensitive products at all times. Industrial sheet plastic web packaging and fluid cleaning processes are just a few of the many other applications that are also capable of generating damaging electrostatic fields.
A simple method of detecting the presence of an electric field was developed in the late 1700's. Two thin gold leaves are suspended from a conductive rod, forming a “gold-leaf electrometer.” By contacting the conductive rod with an electrified piece of material, the gold leaves become identically charged through induction and repulse one another. This device is regarded as inaccurate and unstable.
Modern electrometers employ more sophisticated and accurate techniques of detecting and measuring the presence of charge. However, these devices can be expensive and are impractical for detecting fields under certain circumstances, such as within small equipment or fluids.